Control apparatus, controlling method, program and recording medium

ABSTRACT

A problem of the present invention is to provide a control apparatus, a controlling method, a program, and a recording medium which can print by using at least one or more special colors in addition to four colors of Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black. To solve the above problem, the control apparatus according to the present invention includes analyzing unit that provides command analysis for a CMYK plate and a clear toner plate, generating unit that generates image data of the CMYK plate based on a result of the command analysis by the analyzing unit, and embedding unit that embeds a clear toner attribute obtained by analyzing the clear toner plate in an attribute flag accompanying each of pixels of the image data of the CMYK plate, which is generated by the generating unit.

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 12/181,913,filed Jul. 29, 2008, the contents of which are incorporated by referenceherein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a control apparatus, a controllingmethod, a program and a recording medium which digitally generates andcontrols image data for forming an image on a sheet by an image formingapparatus, more specifically, to a control apparatus, a controllingmethod, a program and a recording medium which can print by using atleast one or more special colors in addition to four colors of Cyan,Magenta, Yellow, and Black.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recently years, the utility value of a digital printing technique hasbeen securely increased in an on-demand print market and a small numberof copies print market. Particularly, the full-color print using anelectrophotographic technique is more superior to other printingtechniques in the productivity, a print cost, the maintenance-easiness,and the like, and the market of the full-color print has been quicklyexpanded.

In the electrophotographic technique, not only the full-color print bythe electrophotographic print using conventional toners of four colorsof C, M, Y and K, but also a multi-color printing method additionallyusing a special toner have taken attention, and a special print market,whose on-demand performance and immediacy are high, has been coming inview.

The print using the special toner, for example, a clear toner also takesattention. While a method, which uniformly prints a whole area of asheet and increases the brilliance, is general as a printing methodusing the clear toner, the need for a printing method, which partiallyprints a sheet, has been also being increased.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-262821 proposes such a method whichprints by using the clear toner, which is used as a water mark forinformation on devices, in addition to the four color toners of C, M, Y,and K. There also exists an advanced technique for printing by using aspecial color toner in addition to the four color toners of C, M, Y, andK.

As described above, the new added-value, which is different from that ofthe normal digital print, becomes able to be obtained by using thespecial color toner also including the clear color, and it becomespossible to further expand the world of the digital print.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

However, since specific information is necessary to generate a specialcolor plate (data for printing with the special color toner) from animage, there exists such a problem that the special color plate can notbe generated from an arbitrary image of a user.

When the special color toner is used, since the process is executed withthe special color toner, circuit sizes of a system for transferring avideo signal and a system for processing an image are enlarged. This isa problem.

In this case, while the special color plate can be easily confirmed onan application, it is necessary to change the designated special colorto switch so that the clear toner plate (data for printing with theclear toner) can be displayed or printed with the CMYK or the RGB. Thisis a problem.

In the present invention, to solve the above problems, the controlapparatus according to the present invention includes analyzing unitthat provides command analysis for a CMYK plate and a clear toner plate,generating unit that generates image data of the CMYK plate based on aresult of the command analysis by the analyzing unit, embedding unitthat embeds a clear toner attribute obtained by analyzing the cleartoner plate in an attribute flag accompanying each of pixels of theimage data of the CMYK plate, which is generated by the generating unit.

According to the present invention, such a printing becomes able to beexecuted that the special color plate, whose design is desired by auser, is generated from print data in which the defined special colorplate is used, and the special color toner is used. In this case, whenthe special color toner is not used, the printing is processed as anormal printing, so that the special color plate can be confirmed by there-RIP on a monitor.

Since the special color plate and the clear toner plate are generated asbeing embedded in an attribute bit which is also used in the printing ofthe CMYK system, the printing by the special color and the clear tonercan be executed by a PDL controller for the printing in the CMYK system.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from thefollowing description of exemplary embodiments (with reference to theattached drawings).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an image processing system according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a cross-section view of a printingapparatus;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a PDL controller;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the UI of the print setting for a printdriver;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an RIP process in the PDL controller;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of the RIP process according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the RIP process according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the RIP process according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the RIP process of an exemplary embodiment 2;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the RIP process according to the exemplaryembodiment 2;

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a display of a web browser accordingto an exemplary embodiment 1; and

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of an image processing in a printing apparatusaccording to the exemplary embodiment 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Exemplary Embodiment 1

[Image Processing System]

FIG. 1 illustrates an image processing system according to an exemplaryembodiment. A client computer 101 is used for a user to generate textdata with an application. A printing apparatus 102 is a copying machinewhich includes a plurality of functions and which is also referred to asa so-called multi function printer in an electrophotographic method. APDL (Page Description Language) controller 103 interprets data generatedby the client computer 101 and PDL data outputted when being printedfrom a printer driver. The PDL controller 103 develops the datagenerated by the client computer 101 to a bit map to transmit the datato the printing apparatus 102. A code 104 denotes a control interfacecable. Through the control interface cable 104, data to be printed istransmitted to the printing apparatus 102, and a control command iscommunicated which is used when the data to be printed is scanned. Acode 105 denotes a video interface cable. Developed video data istransmitted to the printing apparatus 102 through the video interfacecable 105. A code 106 denotes a LAN cable of the PDL controller 103. Theclient computer 101 and the PDL controller 103 are connected to anetwork.

[Printing Apparatus]

FIG. 2 illustrates a general view of the printing apparatus 102. In FIG.2, an image scanner unit 201 reads a manuscript, and processes a digitalsignal. A printer unit 202 prints out an image on a sheet withfull-color, the image corresponding to a manuscript image read by theimage scanner unit 201.

In the image scanner unit 201, a code 200 denotes a mirror surfacepressure plate. A manuscript 204 on a manuscript stage glass (platen)203 is illuminated by lamps 205-1 and 205-2. A light radiated by thelamps 205-1 and 205-2 is led to mirrors 206, 207, and 208, and isfocused by a lens 209 on three lines of solid state imaging elementsensors (CCD) 210-1, 210-2, and 210-3. Three image signals of red (R),green (G), and blue (B) is transferred as full color information of themanuscript 204 to a signal processing unit 211. Meanwhile, the lamps205-1 and 205-2 and the mirror 206 mechanically move in a verticaldirection to an electrical scanning (main scanning) direction of a linesensor at a velocity (v) to scan (sub-scan) a whole area of themanuscript. The mirror 207 and the mirror 208 mechanically move in avertical direction to the electrical scanning (main scanning) directionof the line sensor at a velocity (½ v) to scan (sub-scan) the whole areaof the manuscript. Here, the manuscript 204 is read at a resolution of600 dpi (dots/inch) in both of the main scanning and the sub-scanning.The read image signal is accumulated in internal data accumulating meansof the signal processing unit 211 for each manuscript page.

The image signal internally accumulated in the signal processing unit211 is electrically processed for each pixel, is separated to eachcomponent of Magenta (M), Cyan (C), Yellow (Y), and Black (Bk), and istransferred to the printer unit 202. A clear pattern generating unit isinternally included in the signal processing unit 211, generates clearimage data (CL) for each pixel, and also transfers the clear image data(CL) to the printer unit 202.

The transferred image signals of M, C, Y, Bk, and CL are transferred toa laser driver 212. The laser driver 212 modulation-drives asemiconductor laser 213 according to the transferred image signals.Laser light scans a photoconductive drum 217 through a polygon mirror214, an (f-θ) lens 215, and a mirror 216. Here, the image signals arewritten in a resolution of 600 dpi (dots/inch) for both of the mainscanning and the sub-scanning as in the reading.

A rotating developer 218 includes a Magenta developing unit 219, a Cyandeveloping unit 220, an Yellow developing unit 221, a Black developingunit 222, and a Clear (transparent) developing unit 223. The fivedeveloping units denoted by the codes 219 to 223 alternately contact thephotoconductive drum 217 to develop an electrostatic image formed on thephotoconductive drum 217 with each color toner.

A transcribing drum 224 wraps a sheet delivered from a sheet cassette225 or a sheet cassette 226 around itself, and transcribes the imagedeveloped on the photoconductive drum 217 to the sheet.

As described above, after the five colors of M, C, Y, Bk, and clear(transparent) are sequentially transcribed, the sheet passes through afixing unit 227, and is fixed with the toners to be ejected.

[PDL Controller]

FIG. 3 illustrates a diagram of the PDL controller 103.

When the printing is executed from the client computer 101, a printingjob generated by the client computer 101 is transferred to the PDLcontroller 103 through a network. In the case of the present exemplaryembodiment, this printing job is the PDL data described by a pagedescription language (PDL: Page Description Language). In the PDLcontroller 103, the PDL data transferred from the client computer 101 isreceived through a network interface unit 302 to be developed to rasterimage data for each band by a controlling unit 301. The image data iscompressed by an image compression and expansion processing unit 303 tobe written in an image memory 305. The printing is instructed to adevice controller in the printing apparatus 102 through a control systeminterface unit 306. The compressed image data read from the image memory305 is expanded by the image compression and expansion processing unit303. Next, the image data is transferred to the not-illustrated devicecontroller in the printing apparatus 102 through an image system videointerface unit 307, and the image is formed to be printed.

[Setting a Clear Toner Color]

When the clear toner is used, it is necessary to register the cleartoner color as a custom color in the special color registering settingwhen the special color is set in the color setting of the PDL controller103. Here, the “clear” means that a specific color tone is not included.When setting the special color registering, the manager of the PDLcontroller 103 sets a name of the clear toner color as the custom colorto define CMYK values (color values). In this case, a group name isdesignated as Clear Toner.

For example, the clear toner color can be defined such as a name of thecustom color: CCLR, the CMYK values: Cyan 40, Magenta 30, Yellow 30, andBlack 0, the group: Clear Toner. Here, it is possible to define aplurality of the clear toner colors. The data generated for the cleartoner plate can be used not only for the printing with the clear tonerbut also for the normal printing with the setting of the printer driver.In this case, a plurality of the clear toner colors are defined in whichthe different CMYK values are set, and an alternative color of the CMYKfor the special color toner can be selected according to colors of anoutput image.

[Generating a Printing Job]

When the clear toner is used, not an office application of the RGBsystem, but a DTP application is used in which not only the CMYK plate(data for printing with the CMYK toners), but also the special colorplate can be generated. The previously-defined special color isdesignated for a part in which the clear toner needs to be used. Anover-printing attribute is added to an object to be generated. Thespecial color plate includes eight bits of tones like the CMYK plate,and can be expressed in a multi-value.

[Print Setting for Clear Toner Printing]

FIG. 4 describes the print setting when the printing is executed byusing the clear toner. A code 401 denotes a print setting window of theprinter driver which is stored in the client computer 101. The printsetting window 401 includes four tabs of a general 402, a layout 403, animage 404, and a finishing 405. The print setting window 401 alsoincludes an OK button 409, a cancel button 410, and an applicationbutton 411. FIG. 4 illustrates such a case that the image 404 tab isselected, and displays each setting of [combination of color separation]406, [clear toner is used] 407, and [sharpness] 408. When the cleartoner is used, divided plate data including the special color platedesignated as the clear toner color is generated by the application onthe client computer 101. Next, when the OK button 409 is pushed downwith the print setting for the [combination of color separation] 406:ON, and the [clear toner is used] 407: ON, the printing is executed fromthe printer driver.

[RIP Process Including Clear Toner Plate]

The printing job including the clear toner plate transmitted from theclient computer 101 is the divided plate PDL data configured with theCMYK plate and the special color plate including the clear toner plate.This divided plate data is transmitted to the PDL controller 103 to beRIP-processed.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the RIP (Raster Image Processing) processincluding the clear toner plate. Here, the controlling unit 301 reads aprogram for executing the flowchart of FIG. 5 which is stored in thecontrolling unit 301 of the PDL controller 103, a hard disk 304, or theimage memory 305 and executes the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 5. Here,when the [combination of color separation] 406 is OFF in the printsetting, the transmitted divided plate data is not combined, and isdirectly printed in a gray scale by the number of the pieces of dividedplate data.

In the following description, it is assumed that the [combination ofcolor separation] 406 is ON. At step S501, the CMYK plate RIP process isexecuted. At step S502, when there exists the special color plate, theprocess proceeds to step S503. At step S502, when there does not existthe special color plate, the RIP process is terminated. At step S503,when the [clear toner is used] 407 is ON for the job in the printsetting which is set in the client computer 101, the process proceeds tostep S504. At step S503, when the [clear toner is used] 407 is OFF inthe print setting, the process proceeds to the special color plate RIPprocess of step S506. At step S504, it is determined whether or not thecolor defined as the clear toner color is used for the special color. Atstep S504, when it is determined that the clear toner plate is used, theprocess proceeds to the clear toner plate RIP process of step S505. Atstep S504, when it is determined that the clear toner plate is not used,the process proceeds to the special color plate RIP process of stepS506.

[CMYK Plate RIP Process]

FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of step S501 at which the CMYK plate RIPprocess is executed. Here, the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 6 isexecuted by the not-illustrated CPU of the image processing systemaccording to the present invention.

At step 601, a command of the divided plate data of the CMYK plate,which is generated by the printer driver of the client computer 101, andis transmitted to the PDL controller 103, is analyzed. At step 602, theobject to be RIP-processed is determined from a result of the commandanalysis. The determined objects correspond to three types of acharacter, an image, and a graphics. At step 603, the rasterizing isexecuted, and the output image data is generated. At step 604, anattribute flag is set for each of pixels of the output image data of theCMYK plate based on a result of the processes of step S602 and stepS603.

[Attribute Flag]

The attribute flag is information configured with eight bits in whichthe attribute information is embedded for each pixel of the output imagedata. The attribute flag is transmitted as synchronized with the imagedata from the image system video interface unit 307 to the printingapparatus 102 through the video interface cable 105.

The attribute flag is configured with the attribute information of Bit0-Bit 1, Bit 3, Bit 4, and Bit 6. Here, the Bit 0-Bit 1 includes anobject attribute (character 00, image 01, and graphics 10). The Bit 3includes a ground attribute (“1” is set in a background unit). The Bit 4includes a high-definition character process flag (“1” is set when ahigh-definition character image process is executed as a character foran object). The Bit 6 includes a clear toner attribute (“1” is set whenthe clear toner is used).

Based on the attribute information of the above attribute flag, thedevice controller in the printing apparatus 102 executes the optimumimage processing, for example, changes a screen setting for each objectattribute. The CMYK image data is once irreversibly compressed by theimage compression and expansion processing unit 303 in the PDLcontroller 103, and is image-expanded to be transferred to the printingapparatus 102. However, the attribute information is transferred to theprinting apparatus 102 without being compressed.

[Special Color Plate RIP Process]

FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart of step S506 at which the special colorplate RIP process is executed. Here, the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 7is executed by the not-illustrated CPU of the image processing systemaccording to the present invention.

At step S701, it is checked whether or not there exists the unprocessedspecial color plate, and when there exists the unprocessed special colorplate, the process proceeds to step S702, and when there does not existthe unprocessed special color plate, the process is terminated. At stepS702, a command of the special color plate data transmitted to the PDLcontroller 103 is analyzed. At step S703, the object to be RIP-processedis determined from a result of the command analysis. The determinedobjects correspond to three types of a character, an image, and agraphics. At step 704, the rasterizing is executed, and the output imagedata of the special color plate is generated. At step S705, the imagedata of the special color plate is applied to the output image data ofthe CMYK plate based on the CMYK values defined by the special color. Atstep S706, the attribute flag is set for each of pixels of the outputimage data of the CMYK plate based on a result of the processes of stepS703 and step S704, and the process returns to step S701.

[Clear Toner Plate RIP Process]

FIG. 8 illustrates a flowchart of step S505 at which the clear tonerplate RIP process is executed. Here, the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 8is executed by the not-illustrated CPU of the image processing systemaccording to the present invention.

At step S801, a command of the clear toner plate data transmitted to thePDL controller 103 is analyzed. At step S802, the rasterizing of theclear toner plate data is executed, and the output image data of theclear toner plate is generated. In the clear toner plate process, sincethe output image is not applied to the CMYK plate, the objectdetermining process is not necessary. At step S803, the binarizing isexecuted for the above output image data of the clear toner plate. Thebinarizing is such a simple binarizing that “1” is set for the pixelincluding the clear color data in the rasterizing of step S802. At stepS804, a result of the binarizing is set to the clear toner attribute ofthe Bit 6 of the attribute flag accompanying each of pixels of theoutput image data of the CMYK plate based on a result of the process ofstep S803.

Meanwhile, the output image data of the CMYK plate is the image datagenerated by a rasterizing process at step S603 of FIG. 6.

The output image data of the CMYK plate, which is accompanied by theclear toner attribute, is outputted to the printing apparatus 102.

Meanwhile, at step S804, the clear toner attribute is not set to theoutput image data of the CMYK plate, but a result obtained by binarizingthe output image data of the CMYK plate and the output image data of theclear toner plate may be transmitted to the printing apparatus 102. Inthis case, in the printing apparatus 102, the clear toner attribute isset to the output image data of the CMYK plate.

[Override of Print Setting and Re-RIP Process]

By setting the printer driver when printing by using the PDL controller103, the printing is executed in the printing apparatus 102, and also,the PDL data can be left in a hard disk 304 of the PDL controller 103.In this case, the user can executes the followings by accessing with aweb browser from the client computer 101 to the PDL controller 103. Thatis, the user can change the setting of the printing job transmitted byitself (override of the print option), cause only the RIP to beexecuted, delete the RIP-processed image, and execute the RIP again. Theprinting job including the RIP-processed image can be previewed from theweb browser.

FIG. 11 illustrates a display of the web browser when accessing the PDLcontroller 103. A code 1101 denotes a status display of the PDLcontroller 103, and a code 1102 denotes a list of the jobs for printingwith the PDL controller 103. For example, in FIG. 11, the third upperjob is selected in the list 1102 of the jobs.

A code 1103 denotes a button displaying the property of the jobs. Bypushing down the property button 1103, the print setting can be changed.A code 1104 denotes a preview button for previewing the selected job. Acode 1105 denotes an RIP process button for executing the RIP of the PDLdata. A code 1106 denotes a delete button, and a code 1107 denotes aprint button.

When previewing the job for setting to use the clear toner, the cleartoner plate is applied to the attribute information, but is not appliedto the CMYK image, so that the clear toner plate is not displayed.However, if the setting of the [clear toner is used] 407 is changed toOFF by pushing down the property button 1103, and the preview isexecuted after re-RIP process by pushing down the RIP process button1105, the clear toner becomes the followings. That is, since the cleartoner plate is applied to the CMYK image as a color previously definedfor processing the special color, the clear toner plate is alsodisplayed in a monitor like the CMYK plate.

[Generate Clear Toner Plate]

FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart for processing the image in the printingapparatus 102. Here, the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 12 is executed bythe not-illustrated CPU of the image processing system according to thepresent invention.

In the process illustrated in FIG. 12, first, image data 1205 generatedby the PDL controller 103 and attribute information 1206 accompanying tothe image data 1205 are inputted. The attribute information 1206 is usedto execute the optimum image process in each image processing module.

At step S1201, the color is changed by the color process in the printingapparatus side. Next, at S1202, when the clear toner attribute flag ofthe Bit 6 of the attribute information is “1”, the clear toner componentis extracted from the signals C, N, Y, and K. First, a total amount oftoner of C, M, Y, and K is obtained for each pixel. The total amount oftoner is an amount of toner transcribed to a sheet for each pixel, whichis obtained from a total amount of signal of the four colors of C, M, Y,and K. Normally, the total amount of toner is expressed as a percentagevalue in the case that the maximum value of a simple color is 100%. Whenthe image signal is expressed as an integer of eight bits, the maximumvalue of a simple color is 255, so that the total amount of toner isobtained by multiplying the addition value of C, M, Y, and K by 100/255.

For example, if the image signal of eight bits is C=80, M=95, Y=140, andK=110 for one pixel, the total amount of toner=(C+M+Y+K)×100/255=167% .. . (1).

Normally, the upper limit value of the total amount of toner isgenerally around 200-280%, and is determined by the imaging process. Inthe present invention, it is further required that the total amount oftoner is equal to or less than the upper limit value after a clear tonerlayer is formed.

Here, when it is assumed that the upper limit value is 240%, it can beconsidered that the difference between a value of the formula (1) andthe upper limit value is a density ratio which is allowed for the cleartoner layer, so that the allowed value=240-167=73% . . . (2). When theclear toner attribute flag of the Bit 6 of the attribute information isnot ON, the clear toner component is not generated, and data of theinputted C, M, Y, and K is directly outputted.

When an amount of C, M, Y, K, and CL (clear toner) is determined, in agamma process at step S1203, the optimum gamma process for this printeris applied to each color.

Next, when the image is formed at step S1204, the image forming processis applied to each color. The image forming process corresponds to ascreen process and an error diffusion process.

In the present exemplary embodiment, there exists such an advantageouseffect that the clear toner plate, whose design is desired by the user,is generated from the print data in which the special color platedefined as the clear toner is used, and the printing can be executed byusing the special color toner. In this case, when the clear toner is notused, the printing is normally executed, so that there also exists suchan advantageous effect that it is possible to confirm the clear tonerplate on the monitor with the re-RIP process, and to print with the CMYKcolors.

Since the clear toner plate is generated as being embedded in theattribute bit which is also used in the printing of the CMYK system,there exists such an advantageous effect that the clear toner plate canbe printed by the conventional PDL controller of the CMYK withoutincreasing the video signal.

Exemplary Embodiment 2

While it is assumed that a color of the special color toner other thanCMYK is only one clear toner color in the exemplary embodiment 1, if theprinting apparatus 102 can process, the two or more special colors canbe also applied.

[RIP Process Including Special Color Plate]

The printing job including a plurality of the special color platestransmitted from the client computer 101 is the divided plate PDL dataconfigured with the CMYK plate, the clear toner plate, and the specialcolor plate including a fluorescence toner plate (data for printing witha fluorescence toner). This divided plate data is transmitted to the PDLcontroller 103 to be RIP-processed. Here, the special color of thespecial color plate is previously defined as in the exemplary embodiment1.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the RIP process including the special colorplate. Here, the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 9 is executed by thenot-illustrated CPU of the image processing system according to thepresent invention.

At step S901, the CMYK plate RIP process is executed. At step S902, whenthere exists the special color plate, the process proceeds to step S903,and when there does not exist the special color plate, the RIP processis terminated. At step S903, when [special color toner is used] is ON inthe print setting for the job, the process proceeds to step S904. Atstep S903, when the [special color toner is used] is OFF in the printsetting for the job, the process proceeds to the special color plate RIPprocess of step S905. At step S904, the special color toner plate RIPprocess is executed. At step S905, the special color plate RIP processis executed.

Here, since the CMYK plate RIP process of step S901 is the same as theprocess illustrated in FIG. 6 according to the exemplary embodiment 1,the description will be omitted. Since the special color plate RIPprocess of step S905 is the same as the process illustrated in FIG. 7according to the exemplary embodiment 1, the description will beomitted.

[Special Color Toner Plate RIP Process]

FIG. 10 illustrates a flowchart of the special color toner plate RIPprocess of step S904. Here, the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 10 isexecuted by the not-illustrated CPU of the image processing systemaccording to the present invention.

At step S1001, it is checked whether or not there exists the specialcolor plate. At step S1001, when there exists the special color plate,the process proceeds to step S1002. At step S1001, when there does notexist the special color plate, the process is terminated. At step S1002,the command of the special color plate transmitted to the PDL controller103 is analyzed. At step S1003, the rasterizing is executed, and theoutput image data is generated. In the special color toner plate RIPprocess, since the output image is not applied to the CMYK plate, theobject determining process is not necessary. At step S1004, thebinarizing is executed. The binarizing is such a simple binarizing that“1” is set for the pixel including the special color toner data in therasterizing of step S1003. At step S1005, a result of the binarizing isset to the clear toner attribute of the Bit 6 or the fluorescence tonerattribute of the Bit 5 in the attribute flag based on a result of theprocess of step S1004. Next, the process returns to step S1001.

The attribute flag is configured with the attribute information of theBit 0-Bit 1, the Bit 3, the Bit 4, the Bit 5, and the Bit 6. Here, theBit 0-Bit 1 includes the object attribute (character 00, image 01, andgraphics 10). The Bit 3 includes the ground attribute (“1” is set in abackground unit). The Bit 4 includes the high-definition characterprocess flag (“1” is set when a high-definition character image processis executed as a character for an object). The Bit 5 includes afluorescence toner attribute (“1” is set when the fluorescence toner isused). The Bit 6 includes the clear toner attribute (“1” is set when theclear toner is used).

Hereinafter, the printing apparatus 102 generates the fluorescence tonerplate and the clear toner plate from information on the fluorescencetoner attribute and the clear toner attribute of the attribute flag, andexecutes the printing.

In the present exemplary embodiment, there exists such an advantageouseffect that the printing can be executed for the special color plateswhose number of colors is two or more.

Exemplary Embodiment 3

At step S803 of the binarizing of the clear toner plate RIP process ofthe exemplary embodiment 1, such a simple binarizing is executed that“1” is set to the pixel including data. Here, the binarizing is executedby the dizer process, the error diffusion process, or the like, and maybe set as pseudo-tone binary data to the clear toner attribute of theattribute flag.

Since the special color plate data transferred from the client computer101 is a multi-value data, there exists such an advantageous effect thatthe clear toner plate of the printing apparatus 102 can be generated byutilizing the tone of the clear toner plate generated by the user.

Exemplary Embodiment 4

In the exemplary embodiment 1 and the exemplary embodiment 2, the cleartoner plate and the special color plate can be printed with the tonerother than the CMYK colors as being always embedded in the attributeinformation. In the printing apparatus 102, even when the image data ofthe special color plate can be directly processed by the printingapparatus 102, a function for inputting the special color plateinformation to the attribute information of the present invention may beoperated by the PDL controller 103. In this case, there exists such anadvantageous effect that the PDL controller 103 includes the videochannels whose number corresponds to that of the special colors, alsoincorporates a system for converting the special color plate informationto the attribute data, and can switch the special color plate processingmethod according to a type of the printing apparatus 102 to beconnected.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, there exists such anadvantageous effect that, even if an interface of the special colorplate of the printing apparatus 102 is different, the special colorplate can be printed by the same PDL controller 103.

Meanwhile, the present invention may be applied to a system configuredwith a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interfacedevice, a reader, a printer, and the like), and may be also applied toan apparatus configured with a single device (for example, a copyingmachine, a facsimile apparatus, and the like).

A recording medium, which records a program code of software forrealizing a function of the above exemplary embodiment, is delivered toa system or an apparatus, and a computer (a CPU or a MPU) of the systemor the apparatus reads and executes the program code stored in therecording medium. It is apparent that an object of the present inventioncan be also achieved by such a method.

In this case, since the program code itself read from thecomputer-readable recording medium realizes the function of the aboveexemplary embodiment, the recording medium storing the program code isconfigured in the present invention.

The following recording media can be, for example, used to deliver thisprogram code: a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, amagnet-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatilememory card, a ROM and the like.

It is apparent that, since the computer executes the read program code,the function of the above exemplary embodiment is realized, and thefollowing case is also included. That is, based on an instruction of theprogram code, an OS (Operating System) running on the computer, or thelike executes a part or all of the actual process, and the function ofthe above exemplary embodiment is realized by the process.

It is apparent that the following case is also included. The programcode read from the recording medium is written to a memory included in afunction expansion board inserted to the computer or a functionexpansion unit connected to the computer. After that, based on theinstruction of the program code, the CPU, which is included in thefunction expansion board or the function expansion unit, or the likeexecutes a part or all of the actual process, and the function of theabove exemplary embodiment is realized by the process.

While the present invention has been described with reference toexemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of thefollowing claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as toencompass all such modifications and equivalent structures andfunctions.

This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application Nos.2007-199492, filed Jul. 31, 2007, and 2008-183901, filed Jul. 15, 2008,which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

What is claimed is:
 1. A control apparatus, comprising: a selecting unitconfigured to select, upon previewing image data before printing usingdata indicating whether or not each pixel of the image data is to berecorded by a clear recording agent, whether or not a pixel to berecorded by the clear recording agent is displayed using an alternativecolor; a display control unit configured, in a case where it is selectedthat a pixel to be recorded by the clear recording agent is displayedusing an alternative color by the selecting unit, in order to display ina display device a pixel to be recorded by the clear recording agentamong rendered image data using an alternative color designated inadvance, to output an image in which a color of a pixel to be recordedby the clear recording agent is replaced with the alternative color, andin a case where it is selected that a pixel to be recorded by the clearrecording agent is displayed without using an alternative color byselecting unit, to control such that a pixel to be recorded by the clearrecording agent is not displayed in the display device; and a printingunit configured to print a pixel to be recorded by the clear recordingagent using the clear recording agent.
 2. The control apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the designated alternative color is aspecial color.
 3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein aplurality of special colors are selected for the designated alternativecolor.
 4. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clearrecording agent does not include a color tone.
 5. A controlling method,comprising: upon previewing image data before printing using dataindicating whether or not each pixel of the image data is to be recordedby a clear recording agent, selecting whether or not a pixel to berecorded by the clear recording agent is displayed using an alternativecolor; in a case where it is selected that a pixel to be recorded by theclear recording agent is displayed using an alternative color in theselecting step, in order to display in a display device a pixel to berecorded by the clear recording agent among rendered image data using analternative color designated in advance, outputting an image in which acolor of a pixel to be recorded by the clear recording agent is replacedwith the alternative color, and in a case where it is selected that apixel to be recorded by the clear recording agent is displayed withoutusing an alternative color in the selecting step, controlling such thata pixel to be recorded by the clear recording agent is not displayed inthe display device; and printing a pixel to be recorded by the clearrecording agent using the clear recording agent.
 6. The controllingmethod according to claim 5, wherein the designated alternative color isa special color.
 7. The controlling method according to claim 5, whereina plurality of special colors are selected for the designatedalternative color.
 8. The controlling method according to claim 5,wherein the clear recording agent does not include a color tone.
 9. Anon-transitory computer-readable recording medium, recording a programcausing a computer to execute the controlling method according to claim5.